Martin hails climate change victory as MPs vote for 80%

4.14.00pm GMT Wed 29th Oct 2008

CHELTENHAM MP and Lib Dem shadow environment minister Martin Horwood is celebrating a rare government climbdown over climate change. Martin agreed to back Friends of the Earth's 'Big Ask' campaign soon after being elected to Parliament and, when he was promoted to the Lib Dem front bench, made their demand for a climate change bill committing the UK to an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

Under the previous Secretary of State, the government had dug its heels in and refused the campaign's key demands including the 80% target, the inclusion of aviation and shipping in the bill and the inclusion of all greenhouse gases not just carbon dioxide. The Conservative front bench had also refused to back 80% as recently as this July when the Climate Change Bill went through its committee stage in the House of Commons. Martin and Lib Dem colleague Steve Webb tabled amendment after amendment but were only supported by backbench rebels on the Labour and Tory benches.

But as the final stages of the bill approached this week, it was obvious that the government was facing defeat, especially after the official committee on Climate Change also recommended to the government that they should accept 80%. New Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Ed Miliband made a string of concessions shortly after taking up his post. Amendment 1, tabled by Martin and by Steve Webb, was backed by the minister and introduced the 80% target. Concessions were also made to include aviation and shipping and other greenhouse gases such as methane alongside carbon dioxide.

"When the Tories failed to support us in the summer I really thought we might have failed" said Martin. "But thousands of Friends of the Earth supporters and many other green campaigners really made the difference. Enough Labour and Tory MPs were backing the Liberal Democrats to force an historic U-turn by the government. We now have the toughest climate change legislation anywhere in the world. I'd like to pay tribute to all those people from Cheltenham and elsewhere who patiently sent emails, filled in postcards and wrote letters on this issue. We couldn't have done it without you."

The bill passed the Commons by a huge majority with only a handful of Conservatives voting against, including veteran right-winger Ann Widdecombe.